Sanctuary of the Virgin of La Carrasca

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Carrasca is located about 1.5 km from Carrizosa, within its immediate municipal boundaries, although historically it has been linked to the worship and devotion of Villahermosa, whose patron saint is Our Lady of Carrasca. This dual territorial connection explains its regional character and the continuity of a shared devotion between both towns.

Its origins date back to a small 15th-century hermitage, documented in the visitation books of the Order of Santiago, which places the site within the network of rural religious spaces organized during the structuring of the territory after the Christian conquest. From that moment on, the sanctuary underwent successive expansions during the 17th and 18th centuries, in parallel with the growth of worship.

The current layout is the result of a late 19th-century renovation (1889), which created a unique complex organized around a square courtyard. This space serves as the atrium and central axis of the sanctuary, with two levels: a lower level with a portico featuring semicircular arches and an upper level with galleries intended to accommodate pilgrims during celebrations. This design integrates religious, residential, and festive functions within a single structure, characteristic of popular Baroque architecture in rural areas.

The hermitage has a single nave covered with a barrel vault with lunettes, separated from the main chapel by an 18th-century wrought-iron screen with symbols associated with the Order of Santiago. Inside, the gilded Baroque altarpiece from 1720 and the decorated dressing room stand out, incorporating a representation of the holm oak, a symbolic element associated with the tradition of the image's appearance. .
One of the sanctuary's most unique features is the square bullring located in the courtyard itself, an exceptional element in the province that reinforces its character as a space for pilgrimage and collective celebration. This use is especially important during the September pilgrimage, one of the most significant in the region.